Jersey Style
by HipsterMaybe
Summary: A case takes Five-0 5,000 miles from the sunny beaches of Hawaii. Steve, now out of his element, must rely on his partner to get around. After all, they are on Danny's turf. Action, mystery, whump, and bromance. Rated T. I own nothing but the plot I came up with.
1. Chapter 1

**HI. This story is coming to ya'll from the beautiful beaches of…Italy! Mitch's surprise Christmas present to me was a beautiful vacation to Europe because he knows how much I miss it! I was born in America, but because of my dad's work with the Navy, I lived in Europe for a lot of my life. We didn't always get to live him, but at least we were in the right hemisphere! Anyway, Mitch took me back here! Right now I'm in Portofino! Aww, I've missed this place! There will probably be an Italian character in this just because I've been speaking their language all day.**

Steve glanced at his partner and took in the at ease posture and content smile on Danny's face. Danny always walked tall and confidently, but here, it was like a whole new man. Danny noticed Steve's eyes upon him and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Steve?"

"Nothin', it's just that I've never seen you this way."

"Well, we're on my turf now, babe. You grew up in Hawaii, and I grew up here. Try not to stick out, okay?" Danny ribbed playfully, throwing Steve's own words back in his face. Steve rolled his eyes as they left the airport together. It was almost an art form the way Danny Williams hailed a cab. For a short man, he commanded respect here in these streets.

"Taxi!" he bellowed, sticking a hand straight out. One of the quick yellow cars slammed on the brakes and slid next to the curb for them. The cabi rolled down his window and leaned his head out. Suddenly, his swarthy features split into an enormous, toothy grin.

"Detective Williams!" He exclaimed in heavily accented Italian. Danny leaned down and shielded his eyes from the sun to get a better look at the driver.

"Niccolo?" he asked, his features lighting up as well.

"Si! Oh, it's a very good to see you! Get in, get in! I take you anywhere, no charge!" Niccolo promised, stepping out and taking their bags to the trunk for them. Steve looked at Danny quizzically.

"Just what did you do to make this guy love you so much?" he asked.

"I tell you what he did! He proved me innocent! The mob was all set to frame me for murder, but Signore Williams didn't believe that. He got me my wife and my family back and now look! I have a my own cab business!" Niccolo beamed.

"It was nothing, Nic. And you don't have to give me a free ride." Danny said humbly.

"No, no! Not nothing! And besides, business makes a plenty! I insist!" Danny smiled.

"Alright. Can you take us to the Double Tree?" Danny asked, giving him their hotel. Niccolo nodded enthusiastically. As they drove, he smiled up at the rearview mirror.

"So, Signore. Who is your friend? Where you been so long? What brings you back to New Jersey, eh?"

"This is my partner, Steve McGarrett. We work together on the governor's task force in Hawaii. One of our suspects fled the island and we think he's here in Newark."

"Ahh, so a case! Exciting! Tell me Signore McGarrett, have you ever been here?" Steve smiled and shook his head.

"No, I've never had the pleasure. I grew up in Hawaii and have been in the Navy since I was old enough to enlist, so I haven't seen much of the country."

"Well, you have no one better to show you around than Danny! He is the best!" They drove the rest of the way, listening to Niccolo tell stories of Newark. When they arrived at the hotel, he refused to take their money, although he did slip some cash onto the driver's seat on the way out. Niccolo insisted on carrying their bags up and made Danny promise to call him personally if they needed a ride anywhere before he left. Once he was gone, both men sank into their beds.

"You didn't tell me you had a fan club, Danno." Steve joked. Danny laughed.

"Yeah, Nic's a good guy, just a little too grateful. I swear I must've gotten at least fifty homemade pies from his wife and I don't even know how many cards from their kids."

"At least you made a good impression. So, why aren't you staying with your family?" Steve asked. He knew Danny missed them terribly.

"Well, normally I would. I know they'd be happy to see me and my mom would probably adopt you, but I don't want to put them in danger. Maldonado is dangerous and in the past, he hasn't hesitated to go after the families of investigators. That's why I've got them all staying with family in Brooklyn."

"Believe me, man. I get it."

"I know. I'll go see 'em when this is over. In the meantime, we gotta find this son of a bitch."

"Well, you know this place better than me. Where would you look?"

"If I was Maldonado, I would be looking for someone to stay with. The gang sent him to Oahu to secure a deal with the Yakuza, but obviously that didn't work. He's not going to run back to his bosses 'cause he knows they'll him. No, he's gonna try to find friends from before his time with the Manzetti crime family."

"Alright, well his file says he ran drugs and guns for his own little gang. The major players were absorbed by the Manzettis, but it says some of them are still loyal to Maldonado."

"Tomorrow, we start with them."

"Sounds good." With that, both men turned out their lamps and fell asleep.

******First Chapter! Won't be super long. Now to update Nalowale Kane. And for you whumpers and bromancers out there, don't worry. This fics gonna have it. I just needed a chapter to give you all a bit of a background.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So, I'm really sorry if there are any inaccuracies in this story. I am not from Jersey nor have I ever been there (not that it's not probably a lovely place). I am consulting with an actual Jersey girl, so hopefully it will be realistic enough. I am probably going to invent a few places and gangs since I want it to fit well with my plot, but I want to be as realistic as possible! I'll give this a try! The hotel I chose to have them stay in is an actual Hilton in Newark. I checked trip advisor for hotels, this was the cheapest one that didn't have reviews that said they could hear gunshots just outside their window or had hobos in the closet.**

They woke early the next morning, eager to get a jump on finding Maldonado. Having already ruled out the possibility that he was being protected by the Manzettis, they decided to track down his old friends from his days as a gang leader.

"This file doesn't list a residence for any of these guys." Steve said with a frown as they ate breakfast. Danny had taken Steve to his favorite diner. He was going to educate Steve on the fine cuisine, food that most certainly did not include pineapple or coconuts. For dinner, he was excited to show his partner how proper pizza was made.

"You gotta remember babe, this isn't Hawaii. Not all criminals have a place to call home. In Honolulu, it's a small island. You hide in plain sight in your own home. Here in the big city, a guy can disappear."

"So how do we find them?"

"I still got some buddy's on the force. They'll know the general area where these boys will be hiding. If not, they'll know how to flush 'em out."

"If they can find these guys, why don't they arrest them?" Steve asked.

"There's a few reasons. First, they're not Five-0 and this isn't Hawaii. I know I said it before, but you need to understand that people work differently here. All other cops in America don't have the same kind of freedom to bend the rules like we do. The big explosions and car chases? That doesn't happen here. It's too crowded. Too big of a chance of friendly fire. And if they did go in there, there's always the risk of starting a gang war, and that is not a good place to be. People here either love the cops, most likely 'cause their whole family is on the force, or they hate them with a passion. Another reason they don't arrest these guys is because they don't have any evidence. Here in Jersey, witnesses don't usually talk. If they're not killed, they're scared into silence. Evidence is disposed of quickly. Everyone knows who these guys are and what they did, but no one has a shred of evidence. And the last reason is, these guys are sometimes useful."

"Like right now?" Steve asked.

"Sometimes. And other times, they do our job for us. They call it street justice. Most times, cops don't wanna watch another person die. They'd rather send them to jail. But some people…well, there's kind of a weird code of honor here. Somethings are just unacceptable. Like when they use kids. When that happens, cops feed the media their suspicions over who killed someone and a few days later, the bad guys we've been searching for for months is dead. Is it ethical? Probably not, but sometimes it's the only way."

"Wow...I have a feeling I'm gonna stick out a little here." Steve mused. Danny laughed as he dug into his eggs.

"Just follow my lead. Now it's your turn to watch and learn." Steve smiled.

"So, what are some major rules I'll need to play by?" Danny snorted.

"You? Steven J. McGarrett? _Play by the rules_?" Danny asked, laughing. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Haha, very funny Daniel. I realize that I'm a fish out of water here and I need to learn a bit about the place before I do something stupid. Just like I taught you, you need to teach me how to respect the land here." Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, first rule. Don't go all island on me. People will think you're on the good stuff and will start asking who your dealer is. Second, let me do most of the talking around the cops. You've never gone to the academy, walked a beat, been _assigned_ a partner. Cops here are nothing like HPD. And for the love of God, do not assume you can drive their cars. They will beat your punk ass. Besides, I don't think urban driving is your strong suit. Third, no grenades, no RPGs, no machine guns, nothing. Remember, lots of people, very little space. Good guys are living right on top of the bad guys. And lastly, no pineapple, no coconut, none of that crap. Here, you will eat greasy Italian pizza, fried eggs and bacon, and hot dogs from the nice men on the corner. Got all that?"

"Think so. No island talk. Don't annoy the cops. Don't be reckless. And eat as you eat."

"Oh look, he is trainable! If only Chin and Kono could see this!" Steve glared playfully, then sampled his breakfast. Immediately, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Oh my God. This is what I've been missing?" he asked, stuffing another chunk of bacon into his mouth. Danny laughed.

"So, are you saying this is better than those raw egg and kelp powder smoothies you somehow choke down?"

"You win this round, Danny." Steve conceded around a full mouth.

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Danny couldn't help but feel at home as he walked into the Newark Police Department.

"Danny Williams! How the hell are you?" shouted a gruff voice from across the room. Danny looked up and his face split into a wide grin.

"Tom Flaherty!" he exclaimed, crossing the room and shaking hands with the big man. "What has it been, four years now?" Flaherty laughed heartily.

"You know, Honolulu PD called and said they were sending two of their best. What are you doing here?" Danny's smile grew even wider.

"I see your lazy ass is still in that chair. Steve, I want you to meet Tom Flaherty. He was my old sergeant back in the , this is my partner from Five-0, Steve McGarrett." Steve stepped forward and accepted the man's firm, but warm handshake.

"That's a military man's grip there, son. You served?" Flaherty asked Steve.

"Yes sir. I was a Lieutenant Commander with the SEALs."

"Wow. That's quite the rank there, McGarrett."

"Well I see you're a bit more than a sergeant now, sir."

"Yeah, those dumbasses made me Captain. And please, call me Tom. Danny here's practically family, so that makes you one of us too." Steve returned Flaherty's warm smile.

"Captain? Congrats Tom! When did this happen?" Danny asked.

"Oh, about five months ago."

"Well, I can' think of anyone better." Danny said genuinely.

"Well, as captain, I've instructed the boys in blue here to give you whatever you'll be needing. The one's who worked with you put their noses to the grindstone to find out all that they could and the new guys had all heard about you and wanted to impress Hawaii's greatest detective." Flaherty said with a wink as he led them to his office and sat them down in the two chairs opposite his desk. "Miller-You remember Sam Miller right?"

"Yeah, course I do. Guy sang show tunes at my wedding." Danny replied. Flaherty laughed.

"I forgot about that. Anyway, he'll be stopping by pretty soon with with all they got on the list of names."

"Great. Thank you so much for this, Tom. This guy's a real sick son of a bitch and we need to find him fast."

"Hey, it's no trouble. You just get this guy off my streets and we'll call it even, alright?" Danny smiled.

"'Course we will, Tom." Flaherty leaned back in his chair.

"So, how's life in paradise treatin' ya? I don't see a tie anymore. How's Gracie been?"

"Hawaii's...eh, it's okay. this guy here loves it. You know, he's one of those 'born and raised there' type of guys. And Grace's is good. You should see her now, she's so beautiful and she's getting so tall. Won't be long until she's bigger than me."

"Well, that's not exactly hard." Flaherty joked. "So, Steve. Danny told me a bit about you. Said you were a bit different from other cops. As long as you watch this guy's ass, I'm good with that. Tell me a bit about yourself."

"Well, like Danny said, I grew up in Hawaii. As soon as I was old enough, I joined the Navy and became a SEAL. After my dad was murdered, I came back to Hawaii where the governor asked me to start a task force."

"So you got stuck with Danny here as your partner?" Steve shared a look with his partner and they both started laughing.

"Well, not exactly. More like Danny got stuck with me."

"How so?"

"See, I was just doing my job and going over his dad's house since I was the lead detective on the case, when this guys shows up and tries to steal evidence to start his own investigation. I say it's my crime scene and his response was to call the governor and accept her offer to start a task force. He got sworn in as a cop, right there in his dad's garage." Flaherty's face was red from laughter now.

"You're kidding me! You got a set of brass balls there, McGarrett."

"So then, I showed up at his house and basically made him my partner." Steve continued.

"Oh, i bet that went over _real_ well."

"Well, we had a bit of a rocky start-" Steve began.

"Like when you got me shot within hours of meeting you?" Danny interjected. Steve shrugged.

"but, I wouldn't want anyone else to have my back." Steve finished.

"Well, that does sound like Danny." Flaherty said as a small guy with red hair and a heavily freckled face opened the door. "Ah, Miller. You got that intel on those guys?"

"Sure do. I tell ya, those boys have been...hey! Danny! You didn't tell me you were here!"

"Just arrived, man. How you doing? Hows the wife?" Danny asked, beaming at the man.

"She's a whale. Got two kids 'bouty ready to pop out."

"Wait...Missy's pregnant?"

"Yup, with twins!" Miller said excitedly.

"They let you be a father?"

"Guess so! Well, it was sure nice to see you Danny. I gotta get back to work, but stop by for dinner some time!"

"Will do, Sam." Danny agreed as Miller left. Flaherty looked up from the file.

"Well boys, it looks like we've got some real solid stuff here. Come on, Steve. Me and Danny will show you how you do it Jersey style."

******Well, that's chapter 2. Again, trust me. There will be whump and action!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here's chapter three! I've just had a lovely day out with my husband to be! Tomorrow, we leave Italy and go to Spain! Excited!**

**A HUGE thanks to Mari217. She is my certified Jersey consultant. I have never been to New Jersey and my writing sort of reflects that. Mari has been kind enough to help me out with not only locations and local phrases, but with typos! She is totally awesome and this whole thing would not be possible without her! Be sure to check out her fics because they are incredible!**

"So, how are we gonna do this?" Steve asked.

"Well, there's supposed to be a weapons exchange with this guy," Flaherty explained, sliding a mugshot over to Steve. "Sean Cale. Cale was one of Maldonado's top guys back in the day. We've got a CI working up close with Cale. Our guys tipped us off to the deal, so we finally have something to charge him with. We'll be there to catch Cale in the act, bring him in, and see what he knows. Easy as pie."

"Sounds pretty straight forward." Steve agreed.

"Okay, the deal is going down in thirty minutes in Branch Brook Park" Danny said.

"So, do we just stand around nearby and wait?" Steve asked. Danny shook his head.

"No, we stick out as cops here, you especially man. You look so island it hurts, babe." Danny pointed out. Steve nodded.

"I say we get an unmarked vehicle, van probably, and park nearby. Once Cale gets the goods, we go in. That work for you guys?" Flaherty asked.

"I like it. What about you Steve?" Danny asked.

"It's good. A little different than I'm used to, but you guys are the experts here." Steve said. Danny almost thought he detected a hint of nervousness, but he disregarded it.

"Alright, well let's get in position." Flaherty said, standing up.

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The vehicle was a big, white panel van with 'Juan's Pest Removal' painted on the side. Inside the van, Steve, Danny, Flaherty, Miller, and two other officers, Cho and Gutierrez,sat in silence as they watched the small laptop screen that displayed the area where the deal was going to happen. They had already spotted at least three of Cale's men, two of whom were on the list of Maldonado's associates. If all went to plan, they could nab three of Maldonado's men. Right on schedule, a black Cadillac pulled up under a trestle and three men stepped out. The one in the center walked forward and another man emerged from the shadows to greet him. Cale stepped forward and both he and the supplier clapped each other on the back.

"You got my money, Sean?" The man asked.

"Course I do. Yo, Terrance!" Cale yelled. One of his men stepped forward and dropped a black canvas bag at Cale's feet before retreating to the shadows.

"You got my guns?" Cale asked. The man smirked, then motioned for one of his men to bring something. A moment later, and identical bag sat at his feet. Both men took the bags opposite them, then shook hands.

"Always a pleasure, Carmine." Cale said.

"Yeah, you make me rich, I make you powerful." Carmine agreed. they smiled, then turned from each other. Seeing that the buy had been made, Flaherty motioned for them to move. Delgado threw the door of the van open and they all followed, guns up and trained on the gangs members.

"Police! Put your weapons down. Now!" Danny said. Steve had never noticed the commanding authority in his partner's voice before. Perhaps he hadn't been listening for it. Behind them, the backup, Flaherty had had waiting for them arrived. Seeing that they were outnumbered, both Cale and Carmine put their weapons down. Their men followed suit, albeit reluctantly. Quickly, they stepped forward and kicked the guns away from them.

"On your knees. Interlock your fingers behind your head." Danny ordered. Once again, the men complied. Quickly, they were cuffed. The men on the list of Maldonado's associates were taken to interrogation rooms right away, while the others were taken to holding. As Steve watched Danny read them their rights, he realized just how little he knew of his partner's capability as a had been so focused on how much Danny stuck out in Hawaii that he hadn't taken the time to see Danny's skills for what they were.

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"Sean Cale." Danny began, slowly walking in a circle around the table. Cale fidgeted with the D-ring, trying not to show his nerves. As Steve watched from behind the glass, he was reminded of a circling shark. Funny how Danny was so like the very thing he despised. "You're in a heap of trouble. We've not only got you on illegal weapons charges, but we found coke on you. Now that we've gotten a warrant to search you vehicles, we've found plenty of evidence to tie you to assaults, prostitution, trafficking drugs, and of course, trafficking weapons. You're already looking at twenty-five to life. Now, what would happen if we ran the ballistics evidence from your guns, huh? Would they match up to a few unsolved murders?" Danny asked, his voice low and deadly calm. For all of his bravado, Steve could see Cale's fear. "Alright, so jail is inevitable. You, my friend, are going to be in prison for a very long time. That is non-negotiable. However, what is negotiable is how long you survive."

"What do you mean, cop?" Cale asked, speaking up for the first time.

"You see, your gang is not very popular, especially amongst the Manzettis. See, they still hold a grudge over that time when you set them up and got …what was it? Twenty of them arrested? I know how long guys like you last. We also know what they'll do to you. Let me tell you, not a pleasant way to go."

"My people inside will protect me" Cale said loudly, his eyes wide with fear now. Danny laughed softly.

"Like hell, and the guards won't lift a finger to help you. It's like natural selection."

"What do you want?" Cale asked quietly after a beat. Danny smiled and leaned in.

"Ricky Maldonado. You two used to be tight, back in the day."

"Yeah, what of him?" Cale's hands twitched nervously.

"See, he got into a little trouble with the Manzettis, trying to clear up some of the bad blood _you_ caused. We wanna know where he is."

"Why would I tell you that? Ricky's my boy and I'd never sell him out!"

"Fine, but with you in the joint now, your boy's as good as dead. The Manzettis are pissed. I know you took him in. Now tell me. Where is he? Remember, it's either he goes to jail or he gets chopped up by Joe Manzetti. You take your pick." Danny said nonchalantly. Steve had to admit that he was impressed by Danny's tactics.

"Fine." Cale spat out reluctantly. "But you gotta put me somewhere safe. Ricky too." Danny nodded.

"You got it. Now, where's Maldonado?" Cale sighed.

"He's stayin' with my sister. Chloe's got a place in Secaucus. Go sometime during the afternoon. She'll be out with her kid and you can get Ricky alone." Danny smiled.

"Now was that so hard?" Danny said as he walked out of the room. Steve joined him in the hall.

"Nicely done, Danno!"

"See? You don't have to hang a guy off a roof or dump him in a shark tank."

"Hey, let's not forget the time you strapped a guy to the hood of your car." Danny waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. Flaherty walked up and laughed.

"Now that's a story I'd like to hear. Cale give you something? 'Cause I got nowhere with the other guys on the list."

"Yeah, we got Maldonado's location. He asked us not to go get him until tomorrow afternoon because that's when the young woman and kid he's staying with will be out. We'll have someone watch the place, but I think we should wait." Danny reasoned.

"I agree. We don't need anymore casualties." Flaherty responded. He was about to continue when the dull roar of

conversation and ringing phones suddenly erupted into the deafening sounds of gunshots and shattering glass.

Immediately, they all dove for the floor. When the shooting stopped and they heard the screeching of tires as a car tore away from the station at high speed, they all began to get up. Steve put his hand down on the floor to push himself up, but it landed in something wet and sticky. Looking down, he saw that it was blood. His eyes found Danny laying next to the pool, clutching his arm. Blood welled up from beneath his fingers.

******See? I promised whump and I ****__****always********deliver. And for those of you who fell in love with Niccolo, don't worry! I love him too and he will make more appearances!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, today we go to our last stop in Europe...Greece! I will be home soon and I will update Nalowale Kane shortly! Thanks for all the kind well wishes about my wedding. Wow, alliteration there. Anyway, love you guys!**

Steve's eyes widened in fear.

"Danny! Danny, let me see." he said, gently peeling his partner's hands away from the wound. Blood spilled from a large hole in Danny's bicep as well as from several long, deep gashes from the shattered glass. With the amount of red pouring out of his partner, Steve worried that the brachial artery had been hit. There was a tap on his shoulder and Flaherty held out his belt. Steve smiled gratefully and secured it around Danny's arm. After that, he covered the wound with his own jacket, hoping to stem the flow.

"An ambulance is on it's way. It'll take him to St. Mike's." Flaherty told him. Steve nodded.

"You hear that, Danno? Help's comin', so just hang in there. Stay awake." Steve knew how quickly seemingly mild wounds could bleed out if an artery had been severed. He also knew that they would be dealing with shock if they didn't stop the bleeding and get Danny on fluids soon. Danny nodded weakly, trying his best to keep his eyes open.

"Is anyone else hurt?" Steve asked tersely. In a perverse way, he was in his element here in the middle of blood and danger. He hated that it was like this, but he owned it.

"A few grazes, some cuts from glass, one guy took one in the knee, but he'll be okay. Nothing too serious." Flaherty replied. Steve nodded. Danny's eyes were beginning to slip shut again and his skin had lost all it's color.

"Hey, stay awake Danno. Come on. Just a little longer. Don't close your eyes." he said as he gently slapped Danny's cheeks.

"T-tryin'. So c-cold." _Damn it_, Steve thought. Danny was already in shock. Flaherty had noticed too and was already grabbing a coat off of the back of a nearby chair and tucking it around Danny.

"Th-thank-ks." Danny stammered. Flaherty smiled.

"I got your back, man."

"Hey, no sleeping, pal. I hear the sirens. They're almost here." Steve assured his partner. Moments later, paramedics were bursting through the doors. Many of the injured cops waved them back towards Danny, refusing help until their friend was being treated. Two medics were at Danny's side in moments. A kindly man crouched beside him and began to assess his condition.

"And how are we feeling today, sir?" the man asked, his voice lightly accented with Russian. Danny made a so-so gesture and the man smiled. "My name is Victor and this is my partner, Lydia." he said, pointing to the hispanic woman who was taking his pulse. With deft hands, Victor peeled back Steve's jacket and examined the wound. Tsking softly, he applied a pressure bandage. "Alright, sir. Since you're probably fairly dizzy at the moment, Lydia and I are going to place you on a stretcher to take you out to the ambulance." Gently, they maneuvered Danny onto the stretcher and carried him quickly into the waiting vehicle. Steve liked the way they didn't put a fight when he climbed in next to Danny. As they tore away from the police station, Danny' finally lost his battle for consciousness.

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After Steve had filled out the necessary paperwork, he called Chin. Without Danny there, he needed someone to help him make sense of everything, especially in this unfamiliar place. While Chin didn't know Newark any better than he did, Steve had always valued his friends insight.

"_Kelly_." answered Chin's pleasant voice. Steve smiled, feeling Chin's trademark calm wash over him.

"Hey, Chin."

"_Hey, Steve. How's it going? You guys got any leads on Maldonado yet?_"

"Yeah, we know where he's staying, but I don't think we're the only ones looking for him."

"_What do you mean?"_

"Someone just shot up the station, probably to scare us away from looking for him. Danny took one in the arm."

"_What?! Is he okay?_" Chin asked worriedly.

"He should be, but his doctor hasn't come out to talk to me yet. The bullet hit the artery and he lost a lot of blood."

"_At least it was just his arm. Do you know who did this?_"

"No, but I can guess. It could be his old buddies from his days as a gang leader, but that doesn't feel right. No, this looks more like Manzettis."

"_The mob Maldonado went to work for? Why would they protect him? I thought they hated him._"

"I don't think they were protecting him. These guys like to deal with people on their own. They don't want cops getting to him before they do, especially if there's a chance he'll talk to us."

"_But how did they know the cops were after Maldonado? You don't think they have a mole in the police, do you?_"

"I guarantee they do. And almost every cop was working on that list of associates, so we've got a pretty big suspect pool."

"_Okay, well Kono and I can start looking through them and try and see if one them stands out._" Chin offered.

"Thanks, brah. I'll send you a list as soon as I can. I gotta go." Steve said as he saw Flaherty enter the waiting room.

"_Alright. I'll talk to you later. Be careful._" They hung up and steve rose to greet Flaherty.

"How's he doing?" the Captain asked. Steve shook his head.

"I don't know. He's still back there. He passed out in the ambulance and his blood pressure was bottoming out, but the medics said that was normal for shock. Flaherty nodded.

"You did pretty good with him back there. Kept him calm, which, I guess being his partner you know, is not an easy thing." Steve laughed softly.

"Yeah, but Danny's tough. I've known guys in the SEALs that Danny could give a run for their money."

"Oh, I don't doubt that. Hey, I heard you call him Danno a while back. Isn't that what Grace always used to call him?" Steve chuckled.

"Yeah, still does. I used to call him that to annoy him. I'd always say 'book 'em Danno', and he'd pretend to be annoyed. But after Gracie started calling me Uncle Steve, I guess Danny stopped hating it so much."

"Uncle Steve, huh? She's a sweet kid."

"The best. Honestly, sometimes I'm a bit jealous of Danny. She's an incredible girl and I'd do anything for her. I know Danny would." Steve said, remembering just how far Danny had gone to get Grace back.

"What?" Flaherty asked.

"Nothin'. I was just thinking about when Grace was kidnapped a couple years ago."

"Right, I heard about that. Rick Peterson. I knew that son of a bitch was screwy, but I didn't think he'd do that. We never heard all the details, though."

"It's not really a good story. First, he killed an air marshall, one of Danny's friends."

"Yeah, I heard about Dave too. He was a good man."

"then he picked Grace up from a tennis lesson posing a police officer, saying Danny had been hurt and he would take her to the hospital.. From there, he called Danny and threatened he called Danny and threatened to kill Grace if Danny didn't do as he said. He knew Danny wouldn't go to jail, but he wanted to ruin his life, get Grace taken away from him, so he made Danny shoot Stan. Actually, he was supposed to kill him, but Danny just couldn't do it. In the end, we got Peterson. Danny actually knee capped the guy to get Grace's location."

"Sounds like something he would do. She's his whole life."

"Ain't that the truth." Steve agreed just as a doctor approached them.

"Excuse me, Commander McGarrett?" she asked. She was a pretty blonde with dark blue eyes and full lips.

"Yes?" Steve answered.

"I'm Dr. Sandeen." She said, offering her hand.

"How's Danny?" Steve asked.

"Better. We were able to remove the bullet and cauterize the artery. We stitched up the gunshot wound as well as the other cuts. He lost a fair amount of blood, but we did a transfusion and have him on IV fluids. He'll have to stay the night and the arm will be sore for a while, but he should recover nicely. If you'd like, I can show you to his room now." Steve nodded.

"I better go tell the others." Flaherty said. "Give Danny my best." With that, he left. Nodding to Sandeen, Steve followed her to Danny's room. He was still asleep, but he was told that his partner would wake up soon. As he waited, there was a light knock on the door and Sam Miller entered.

"How's he doin'?" he asked, almost guiltily.

"He'll be okay. He's resting now." Steve replied kindly. This was Danny's friend after all. Miller smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He shifted uneasily from foot to foot and kept looking at the door.

"You okay, man?" Steve asked. Miller shook his head, glanced at the door again, then closed it. Steve was utterly bewildered now.

"Look, I know I don't know you, but I need your help and right now, I'm not sure who I can trust."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I trust danny and he trusted you. That's good enough for me."

"Okay, why don't you tell me what's going on." Miller took a deep breath, then began.

"For the last six months, I've been gettin' these threats. Manzettis I think. Started out with them asking me to get rid of some evidence. When I wouldn't do it, they threatened my family. Sure I was scared shitless, but I refused again. I get home that day, someone beat my son up bad enough to put him in the hospital. After that, I get this call from old Joe Manzetti himself, asking how my boy is. What could I do? I had to help them." Steve nodded.

"I get it, man. You had to protect you family."

"Lately though, the instructions have been coming from someone _inside_ the Newark PD."

"How do you know?"

"Notes kept showin' up on my desk, so I checked the security cameras. No one who wasn't a cop came near my desk. The camera in there turns and whoever put those notes one my desk knew how to time it because they never show up on video." Steve frowned.

"So, one of the guys working this case could be working for the Manzettis?"

"Yeah. I think so. And I think whatever we found got PD shot up. Look, I got my cousin who I know I can trust goin' over to the place where Maldonado's 'sposed to be."

"You think the Manzettis know?" Miller nodded.

"I bet my life on that." Suddenly, Millers phone rang. As he answered it and listened to the voice on the other end, his features tensed. When he hung up, he turned to Steve. "Place was hit already. Cale's sister is dead and the kid was left with a neighbor. No sign of your guy either."

**You know, on the train here, Mitch and I were typing up this chapter and this awfully rude man looked at us, turned up his nose in disgust, and muttered "nerds" as if it were an insult. It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite people.**

"**Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan. Why is that?' In fact, it seems to me that most contemporary insults are pretty lame. Even 'lame' is kind of lame. Saying 'You're lame' is like saying 'You walk with a limp.' Yeah, whatever, so does 50 Cent, and he's done alright for himself."**

― **John Green**

******Words to live by.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, here's chapter 5! House hunting is going well! We've found this lovely place with enough bedrooms for us and children! And at a good price as well! Life is good, people. Life is good :)**

"Is this really necessary? I didn't get shot in the leg, ya know!" Danny grouched as Steve rolled his eyes.

"What are you always telling me about following procedure? About listening to the doctors?" Steve countered.

"This is different. I don't need a friggin' wheelchair!" Steve sighed.

"Danny, just get in the chair or so help me I will strap your short ass in there. You know I will." Danny scowled, but relented. The argument had been pointless. He knew he'd have to submit to the chair eventually, but he needed to rant, to blow off steam. Now they had lost Maldonado and an innocent woman had been killed. Not to mention a child had been orphaned, which always hit Danny hard. He lowered himself into the seat and Steve patted his uninjured arm gently, showing his understanding. Early on in their partnership, they realized that they both had different ways of dealing with stress. Steve threw himself into his work and became more reckless. Danny ranted and argued. They knew how to balance each other out. When they had at last reached the curb, Danny stood up and a nurse took the wheel chair back.

"Signore Williams!" a jubilant voice rang out. Danny turned to see a yellow cab idling at the curb. Steve smiled and leaned over so Danny could hear over the noise of the city.

"I figured we needed a ride and he seemed more than willing." Danny smiled and they both got in.

"Signore, your arm! You hurt? I take you home, yes? You need to rest." Niccolo said, looking back. His dark eyes were wide with concern.

"No, I'm fine, Nic. I promise. I need to go to the station, okay?"

"You sure?" he asked, his tone a bit disbelieving.

"I'm good."

"Well, if you're sure, then we go." They sat in silence in the back while Nic rambled on about the success of his new business. The noise was calming and Danny began to slip back into detective mode as he pushed aside his hot headed tendencies. "Here we are!" Nic announced as he pulled up to the curb. Danny went for his wallet, but winced when it pulled at his wound. Steve waved him off and pulled out his own.

"How much for the ride, Nic?" Steve asked, already pulling some cash out. Nic shook his head emphatically.

"How much I gotta say this? You don't pay with me! Your money's a no good here!" Nic said kindly, waving off Steve's money. They thanked him and exited the cab.

"You know, I'd always heard that cabis were rude. Nic's nothing like that at all." Steve mused. Danny chuckled.

"Well, partly it depends on the one you get. Some of them are the stereotypes, but mostly it depends on how you treat them. One of the biggest rules in the big city is never piss off the cabis." Steve smiled and they made their way into the station. As they walked back towards Flaherty's office, many of the officers clapped Danny on the shoulder and welcomed him back. Flaherty was waiting for them behind his desk.

"Looking good, Danny. Sorry I didn't get to stop by the hospital. I had to go deal with that mess in Secaucus with Cale's sister." he said tiredly, looking as though he hadn't slept a wink.

"What's happened with her kid?" Danny asked.

"CPS took him, but a friend of Chloe Cale's said she'd take him. I checked her out and she seemed like a safe choice. She's a school teacher in New York City with two kids of her own, so it should be alright." Danny nodded.

"So, do we have any leads on Maldonado?" Steve asked.

"Crime scene techs are still sweepin' the place, but so far we got nothin'." Flaherty said dejectedly. "All this just because Maldonado screwed up in Hawaii."

"And now he knows Manzetti secrets too." Danny pointed out. They were silent for a moment, then Flaherty's phone rang.

"Flaherty." he answered. As he listened, a smile emerged on his face. He thanked whoever was on the other end, then hung up. "Well boys, it looks like the Manzettis finally screwed up. One of the techs found a piece of latex that came off one of the gloves the Chloe Cale's Killer wore. It must've gotten caught in the slide when he fired the gun. Blood and skin were attached to it and it came back to Little Joey." Flaherty finished triumphantly. Danny smiled while Steve merely looked lost.

"Who's Little Joey?" he asked.

"He's the head of the family, Joe Manzetti's, son. Every cop on the east coast knows that little prick is dirty and has wanted to stick it to him since the day he first joined his dad's business. Now, we finally have the evidence we need to arrest this little punk as well as get a warrant to search everything he owns. this could lead us straight to Maldonado." Steve raised his eyebrows.

"How soon can you get a warrant?" Flaherty grinned.

"I got the judge on speed dial."

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"My son is not here, officers. Frankly I find it disrespectful that you don't believe me."

"Can it, Manzetti." Flaherty said impatiently as he held up the warrant.

"Why do you all have such a bias against Little Joey, huh? He's a good boy just helping his father with the family business." Danny rolled his eyes.

"And what business would that be, Joe? Drugs? Illegal gambling? Prostitution? Guns?" Manzetti attempted to look offended, but it was too dramatic to be believable.

"I am a humble business man, detective. Sure, I run a casino in Atlantic City, but since when is that illegal?"

"You're stalling." Steve said coldly, then pushed passed him. Manzetti looked surprised.

"You know, most people around here show me a little more _respect_." Manzetti spat. Steve turned around and towered over the mobster.

"Well, I'm not from around here now am I? Let us conduct the search or get arrested." Danny and Flaherty smirked at Manzetti, then followed Steve into the house.

"Damn. I've never seen anyone stand up to old Joe like that, McGarrett." Steve smiled and said nothing.

**Well, another thank you to Mari217, my wonderful Jersey consultant! She sent me this hilarious clip of an actual newspaper from there and it had me laughing for a half hour straight!**

***This would have been posted yesterday, but for some reason it would not let me add a chapter! It kept giving me error messages! Sorry for the delay!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow, has it been crazy lately! Moving and Wedding plans and work. I only just got around to updating this one. Mari217 was awesome enough to read through this and help Jersey-fy it as well as help with a bunch of spelling and grammar errors! Anyway, the wedding is only nine days away! I'm so excited. Unfortunately, this darn cold weather got me sick so I only worked a half day today. Hopefully I'll be better by next Friday!**

Inside the 'Manzetti Manor', as it was known to most people, it looked like something out of every bad gangster movie. The Manzettis clearly liked to flaunt their wealth. Crime scene techs were processing the whole house, but Steve, Danny, and Flaherty made their way to the study.

"We've got people searching all of his legit properties right now, but everyone knows that a guy like this has places off the books." Flaherty began. "I betcha dollars to doughnuts that's where we'll find Little Joey and Maldonado." As they entered Joe Manzetti's office, Steve raised an eyebrow at how similar the room was to one he'd seen in a movie.

"Where's Tony Montana when you need him?" Steve joked.

"Wow, a Scarface reference. I'm impressed, Babe." Danny teased. It was common knowledge with the members of Five-0 that Steve had seen very few of the classics, which annoyed Danny to no end. It appeared Steve wasn't the only one who had made the movie connection. Two young officers posted at the door were reenacting the 'say hello to my little friend' scene. Flaherty shot them a disapproving look and they stopped at once.

"New guys." He muttered. "What're ya gonna do?" he said with a shrug. They shook their heads and donned their gloves before they began searching the office. Something immediately caught Steve's eye. As he had noticed before, the room was almost comically stereotypical of a mob boss. Everything, except for one piece of art on the wall. The peaceful countryside scenery depicted in the cheap oil painting seemed at odds with the rest of the room and Joe Manzetti's personality. The painting was by no means good and, for a man who liked opulence, it seemed a ridiculous choice of décor. Steve walked up to the painting and knocked on it softly. Sure enough, there was a hollow echo behind it.

"Hey, Danny. I think I've got something." He called over his shoulder.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Danny asked as he studied the painting.

"If you're thinking that this painting's ugly and obviously hiding something, then yeah." Steve replied.

"Safe, maybe? Wouldn't be the first time." Steve nodded.

"That makes sense. Here, I'll try to find a way to open this."

"Hold up a sec. Let's try to get the password first."

"Danny, I could have this open in just a couple minutes. You've seen me crack safes before."

"Yes, and while you are very good at that, it might be too late. One of my last cases before I moved to Hawaii involved a safe just like this one. If the password wasn't entered in thirty seconds, the contents of the safe were incinerated." Understanding dawned on Steve's face.

"So, what? We say pretty please and Manzetti hands it over?"

"Nah, we're better of finding it somewhere in here. Rumors about this guy are that he kept records of everything so he wouldn't forget." Someone behind Danny cleared their throat nervously. Danny turned around and came face to face with a small, anxious looking tech.

"Excuse me, Detective. I think I might've found what you're looking for." Danny glanced at the name stitched on to the jacket.

"What do ya got for me, Wu?" Danny asked kindly, putting the man at ease.

"On the bottom of one of the busts on the desk, I found this note. It says 'Blue Diamond'. I don't what it means, though."

"I do." Danny said with a smile. "That's Manzetti's private lounge at his casino in Atlantic City. Word is that it's almost impossible to get in there unless you have a personal connection to the Manzettis. Almost no one even knows the name of it. I found out by accident while working undercover when I first started out here. Good work, Wu." Danny said, clapping the young man on the arm. Wu flushed with pride and left to continue his work, walking a little taller than before.

"You ready?" Steve asked, poised to open the latch to move the painting. Danny nodded. Quickly, he entered the phrase that Wu had found and the keypad turned green. They opened the door to the safe to reveal what all the cops there regarded as the Holy Grail of evidence. Their eyes widened gleefully as they pawed through the files, each one proving the Manzettis' guilt in every sort of crime imaginable. Danny strained his ears toward the door and listened carefully.

"Joseph Manzetti, you are under arrest for extortion, the illegal sale and purchase of drugs, the illegal sale and purchase of weapons, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and kidnapping." A triumphant voice barked. Some cop was having the best day of his life. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you by the courts. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

"Get your hands off me! You planted all that! I want my lawyer" Manzetti screamed. The laughter of every cop in the house rang through the halls. As they continued searching through the papers, Danny found one with a list of passwords on it.

"Tom, hand me Manzetti's phone. I got the lock code here." Flaherty passed it over and Danny entered the password. His smile widened as he looked through the texts. "Gotcha. I got a text over here from Little Joey. 'Got Maldonado. Secaucus went bad. Took him to the warehouse in Port Newark'. Well, Steve. Looks like we just found our guy." Steve returned his smile.

"I'll go call Chin." He went outside and dialed his friend's number, but before he could make the call, strong hands clamped over his mouth. He fought with all of his strength, but whoever had him was stronger. The need to breathe was becoming overpowering and instinct took over. His lungs convulsed and he inhaled the sickly sweet fumes. His vision faded, then went dark.

**I just realized that in the last two updates I've done, someone's knocked Steve out…poor Steve. I for one am excited for the episode that comes after this weeks. It's supposed to be one where Steve and Danny are kidnapped so maybe there's a chance for the bromance after all!**

**One more thing, not really related to the story. As most of you know, I work at a hospital as a Pediatric Assistant (basically a Pediatrician, just I haven't finished my residency and I'm still taking some classes). Earlier this week, I got to spend time with some of the bravest people on earth, and many of them were under a month old. These infants that I worked with were all born with either FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) or NAS (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or were born addicted to drugs). Watching babies go through the painful withdrawal that many addicts go through is heart breaking. Many of these children will not live to see their teens. If they do, nearly all of them will be affected by this, most commonly with some form of mental retardation. I just have to ask all you, please, if you know someone who is putting their baby at risk during pregnancy, get them some help. One drink, one joint, one snort. That might be all it takes to put an unborn child's life in danger. I seriously doubt most or any of you do this personally, but as a doctor who has seen the effects of this and as a future mom, I just felt I had to say something. Sorry for all this, but it's just so important to me.**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, Mitch and I have the day off since our wonderful friends at work offered to cover for us. Thing is, we have no idea what to do. The weather is pretty bad, so we kind of have to stay home unless we want to risk the icy roads and terrible drivers. What better way to spend a cold day than to curl up together in front of our new fireplace with Luke on our laps and write fanfiction? I know, not the typical couple thing to do the day before their wedding, but we're not exactly typical. And neither of is nervous. I knew this would be how we ended up ever since we got back together. We dated from tenth grade through graduation, but agreed it was best to go our separate ways for college. We had only known one type of relationship and we knew most high school couple divorced. We kept each other's numbers, but were too scared to call because even though we hadn't found anyone, we worried the other might have. As fate would have it, we literally bumped into each other after a year apart in a coffee shop. We spilled our cups all over each other and now, we're getting married! Life's funny that way, I guess.**

Danny smiled triumphantly at the sound of Manzetti demanding to be unhanded. From the first time he'd heard of the man when he was just a kid, he had wanted to see him behind bars. Still smiling, he pulled his cell phone, that had just begun to ring, out of his pocket.

"Williams."

"_Hey, Danny._" Chin's calm voice greeted. "_I was just calling to see how things are going. How's your arm?_"

"It's good. Nothing a little pain meds won't fix. We got a possible location on Maldonado. Hey, I thought Steve just called you."

"_No…I haven't spoken to him since yesterday._"

"Hmmm, that's weird. Gimme a sec. I'm gonna go out and see what he's up to. Island boy's gonna get himself lost in a heartbeat if he wanders off." Chin chuckled.

"_Yeah, I bet he's lost without the abundance of coconuts or an active warzone._"

"You don't know the half of it, Buddy." Danny joked. "Ok, I'm outside, but he's not. Yo, Steve!" Danny called, but there was no response. Starting to get a little worried, he started up the sidewalk, but stopped dead a few feet later. Lying of the ground was a smashed iPhone in a ruggedized case. The case Danny had gotten Steve for his last birthday after he broke yet another cell phone.

"_You still there, Danny?_"

"Yeah…Chin, something's wrong."

"_What do you mean?_"

"I just found his phone smashed on the sidewalk, but no Steve. Chin, you know he never he never goes anywhere without his phone."

"_So, are we thinking kidnapping?_" Chin asked worriedly.

"Right now, I don't know what to think." A beep from his own phone signaled a call waiting. "Chin, I gotta go. I'm getting a call from and unknown number."

"_You think this is about Steve?_"

"I've got a bad feeling." Danny hung up and answered the call. "Williams." He answered as he made his way back towards the Manzetti house.

"_Hello, Detective. Good to be back?" _a snarky voice asked.

"Who is this?" Danny demanded as he grabbed a digital recorder that one of the techs had been carrying around and held it up to his phone.

"_Right now, that's not important. What is important is that you listen to me. I have your partner._" Danny's stomach twisted in fear. He had personally seen how much force was needed to take the former SEAL down and it scared him.

"What do you want?"

"_Simple. First, you stop looking for Ricky Maldonado. He's ours now. And he's not in the Port Newark warehouse anymore. That's right, we know you found out about it. And second, you tell us what you know. Maldonado was arrested briefly in Honolulu and by that time, he was willing to make any deal to escape prison. We know he talked to HPD. What did he say? What did he give you on us?_"

"He didn't say anything." Danny replied. It was true. Maldonado had been offered a deal, but he had been too terrified of the Manzettis to talk right then. He said he'd only talk to the FBI and he wanted full protection. On the way to the safe house, he had escaped and made his way back to the mainland.

"_Don't lie to me, Detective._" The voice said patiently. A moment later, a pained cry rang out.

"Steve! What did you do to him?" Danny shouted angrily into the phone.

"_Oh, nothing much…yet. Let's try this again. What did Maldonado say? Our source says he talked and our source is never wrong._"

"Nothing! He said nothing! He wouldn't make a deal because he was too scared." The man on the other end didn't reply, but Steve's scream did. "Stop! I'm telling the truth! He didn't tell us anything." Steve screamed louder, but this time Danny could make out a few words.

"Warehouse…Ashland Stadium…rubber." There was the sound of something hard hitting flesh and Steve's voice abruptly died.

"_We'll call back in a few hours. Have your answer together by then or Steven here gets worse._" The man hung up, leaving Danny pale and shaking with fear for his partner. A hand touched his uninjured shoulder.

"Danny, you alright man?" Sam Miller asked. Danny turned around.

"Steve's been kidnapped. Sam, the Manzettis have him." Miller's face went pale and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Oh God…what do they want for him?"

"They want me to tell him what Maldonado gave us back in Hawaii, but he didn't give us anything!" Looking nervous, Miller started for the house.

"I'll go get Flaherty. He'll know what to do." Danny nodded and followed him, gripping the voice recorder tightly in his hand. They entered the office again.

"Tom, Steve's been kidnapped!" Miller exclaimed. Flaherty's eyes widened.

"Jesus…he went off alone to make that phone call. How the hell did they know he'd be alone?" Flaherty asked angrily.

"I don't know. There's got to be a mole somewhere in here." Miller shifted nervously and Flaherty scrubbed a hand over his face.

"Damn it. Ok, from now on, this case is between us three. Anyone else could be the mole." Danny and Miller nodded. "Alright, did you get the conversation on that recorder in your hand?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, let's take this back to my office and give it a listen. Danny, you go ahead and I'll meet you there once I come up with a good excuse for these guys so they don't get suspicious. Miller, I want you to go walk around these guys and see if any of them are acting off." The two men nodded and left at once.

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"_Are you alone?_"

"About as alone as I can be right now. Danny's back at the precinct with the recording. Do you want me to get it from him somehow?"

"_No, let him have it. It's not like he got anything useful anyways._"

"Alright, boss."

"_Did he seem leery of you at all?_"

"No, he bought my act. I've known him forever and I know how he works. He won't suspect a thing."

"_Good. Make sure it stays that way._" The man hung up, leaving the informant to sweat nervously.

**A huge thanks to Mari217 for her super speedy edit and Jersification (yes, I just made up a word!). She's a really awesome person and writer. Be sure to check out her stories because they are AMAZING! Bye bye until after the honeymoon ya'll!**


	8. Chapter 8

**See? I promised I'd update this soon. Sorry it took so long. Anyway, I hope you guys like this!**

"Warehouse…Ashland Stadium…rubber." Flaherty stopped the recording again after the third time of listening to Steve's final words during the call.

"He's trying to tell us something." Miller said slowly, his face screwed up in thought. Danny nodded in agreement.

"Of course he is. Steve doesn't go out without a fight and that's part of what scares me."

"But what though? From what you've told me, he's never been here. It's not like he can give us directions." Flaherty pointed out.

"No, not directions. I think he's describing where he is. Warehouse, that's obvious. Ashland Stadium. Uhh, maybe he saw that through a window, like a street sign or something." The others nodded, catching on to Danny's train of thought. "Rubber…rubber…what the hell does rubber mean?"

"You've got me there, kid. Maybe Steve was drugged or not thinking clearly." Flaherty said gently, but Danny shook his head.

"No, it's a clue. I'm telling you, it means something, I just don't know what yet." Silence fell over Flaherty's office for a minute, then Miller perked up.

"Rubber! That's it! Danny, that old rubber factory in East Orange that closed down a few years back. It has to be where they're keeping him! He must've smelled the rubber. That place reeks. I can always smell it whenever I drive by." Miller exclaimed triumphantly.

"Right by Ashland Stadium…Sam, I could kiss you right now." Danny said, already standing up and shrugging into his jacket. The stitches in his arm pulled uncomfortably and he winced. Miller got up to, checking his weapon.

"We going for backup on this one, boss?" Miller asked Flaherty. The captain thought for a moment.

"Not yet. We will eventually, but if we let the cat out of the bag too soon, we risk losing McGarret and Maldonado. I say we go over there, confirm our suspicions, then call it in. We'll be armed so we can intervene if necessary, but I don't wanna start a damn firefight without backup." Danny nodded.

"Smart. That way the mole can't call up his buddies and tip 'em off." Danny remarked in agreement."

"Alright, you two head out, and I'll catch up in a few minutes. We don't wanna leave at the same time. Might get our guy suspicious. You start out there and I'll meet you at the factory." Flaherty said. Danny frowned.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. If we get separated, then one of us might have to take on those guys alone. No, we do this together. We'll walk out to the car together and talk about this new lead we have on Maldonado's location somewhere in Irvington. If the mole happens to hear us, they'll think we've got another bogus tip and that they're safe." Danny reasoned.

"Good idea." Miller agreed. Flaherty nodded.

"We'll do it your way, kid. Let's take my car. It'll draw less attention."

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Steve sat slumped over in the chair, held up only by the thick ropes around his chest, wrists, and ankles. His head lolled against his chest and blood dripped from a cut on his right eyebrow. More blood was dried on his split lip and beneath his nose. Steve's once handsome face was now a gruesome patchwork of bruises and was swollen so much it was hard to tell who he was. One shoulder was clearly dislocated and the fingers were swollen to the point of rendering them useless. Maldonado stared at Steve fearfully. Throughout the entire beating, he'd been awake, but barely so. Still, he had seen Joey Manzetti's savagery and determination. The former SEAL was strong and had not gone down without a fight. Maldonado had watched as blow after blow was landed and the Commander still clung to consciousness. It had taken hours of intensive beatings to knock him out. Both Steve and Maldonado's shouts saying Maldonado never told Five-0 anything went unheard and only served to anger Joey more. He knew the boy had to be on something; meth, probably, judging by the hyperactivity and violence. While Maldonado didn't particularly like McGarrett, he hoped the man would wake up soon. That man was his ticket out of here and if Joey killed him, he knew he was next.

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Ten minutes later, Flaherty's Ford Focus pulled up to the curb next to the warehouse, careful to stay back far enough to avoid any possible security cameras. Without a word, the three men slipped out of the vehicle and donned their bullet proof vests, which Danny had insisted on, and check their guns. Keeping to the shadows, they crept to the edge of building and peered into the small window on the heavy steel door. As soon as he got a good look inside, Miller had to bodily restrain his friend from bursting in after his partner. The sight of Steve so beaten and bloody made Danny's blood boil. It simultaneously enraged and terrified him. Steve was strong, tough, always in the thick of the fight, but now he was unconscious and looked fragile. As his eyes swept the room, Danny could make Maldonado tied up similarly on the opposite end of the room, with Joey Manzetti prowling in lazy circles between them. Danny nudged Miller.

"Call it in." miller nodded and ran down the street a little to make the call where he wouldn't be heard. He returned a moment later and for the next ten minutes. They watched as Little Joey continued to saunter around the room. Danny frowned. Backup would be on its way by now and he had been expecting Manzetti to receive a call telling him to run, but no phone ever rang. Though Danny could not make out any words, he could tell that Joey was talking to Maldonado. Suddenly, without warning, Manzetti lashed out at Steve, striking his hard on the face and snapping him back to awareness. Groggily, Steve struggled to sit up more as Manzetti began to question him. When Steve did not answer satisfactorily, joey removed a knife from his boot. Slowly, he took the knife and dragged it across the underside of Steve's forearm, leaving a profusely bleeding gash in its wake. This was the last straw for Danny. He looked silently back at Miller and Flaherty and they nodded in agreement. A moment later, Flaherty kicked the door open and Danny and Miller rushed in. Joey tried to draw his gun out of his waistband, but Danny was faster. He dropped him with a shot to the shoulder and immediately ran over to Steve while Miller cuffed Manzetti. Flaherty glanced at Maldonado and, once he had ascertained that the man wouldn't be going anywhere, proceeded to clear the rest of the small warehouse. Two more shots sounded as Flaherty took out two more of Manzetti's men. By this time, police were pouring in and helping Flaherty check for others.

Danny fumbled with Steve's bindings for a moment, then gently helped lower his partner to the floor.

"Hey. Hey, I gotcha, babe. Hold on. Help's coming." Danny rambled as he tore off a strip of his shirt and tied it tightly around Steve's arm.

"D-dan-ny…" Steve managed to stutter through swollen lips.

"Yeah, buddy. It's okay. We found you. We got you." Steve held Danny's gaze for another couple seconds before letting his eyes flutter closed. Try as he might, Danny knew there would be no waking his partner. A basic examination turned up a probable concussion, dislocated shoulder, and several cracked, if not broken, ribs in addition to the cut on Steve's arm. The wail of the ambulance was approaching quickly and soon, Danny was seated next to Steve in the back of it, speeding toward the nearest hospital.

**I'll try to be better about updating!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Kind of a short chapter, but I hope this will tide you guys over until I have time to write up a longer chapter. Enjoy!**

"Danny, hey. How's McGarrett?" Flaherty asked, Miller a half step behind him.

"I don't know yet. They haven't told me anything. God, this never should have happened. I shouldn't have let him go off by himself out there!" Danny said angrily.

"It's not your fault, man. We all thought it was safe with so many cops around. And the guy's a friggin' Navy SEAL. According to Maldonado, it took quite a bit to take him down." Miller pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess." Danny muttered. "So, got Maldonado now?" Miller nodded.

"Yeah. To be honest, he can't wait to go to prison so long as he's safe from the Manzettis. He's ready to tell us whatever we want." Something in Miller's eyes looked off to Danny. Flaherty's too.

"What aren't you telling me?" Flaherty sighed.

"Somebody helped old Joe Manzetti escape from his cell an hour ago. Crooked guard by the looks of it. Word amongst the inmates was he was mighty pissed about Joey taking one in the arm. That means he'll be out for blood to get whoever pulled the trigger, which would be you, Danny. You guys have Maldonado, I think once Steve's well enough, you two need to get back to Honolulu. Your work's done here. I don't want to find you in a dumpster somewhere." Danny's eyes flashed dangerously.

"No. I want Joe Manzetti. This guy orders my partner kidnapped and beaten, he doesn't get away with it. I don't care if he puts a hit out on me. If he wants me dead that bad, you and I know that going to Hawaii isn't gonna stop him. And that'll just put Grace in danger. No, I'm staying here and I'm gonna get this son of a bitch." Danny growled.

"Danny, think about this." Miller tried to reason. "You go to war with the Manzettis, neither of you will win. We've all seen this happen before."

"Sam, did you see Steve? Did you see what they did to him? I'm not letting these guys get away this. Not again." Danny said with an air of finality. They said nothing more on the subject as a doctor entered the waiting room and called "Party for Steven McGarrett?"

"Right here." Danny called, waving the doctor over. The doctor, and older, balding man in his sixties wore a gentle smile that calmed Danny's nerves a little.

"I'm his partner. How is he?"

"Ahh, so you would be 'Danno' then?" the doctor said, smiling a little broader. Danny laughed, feeling some tension leave his body.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm guessing he's awake if he's told you that."

"Yes, he's awake. A little groggy, but he'll be okay."

"What's the damage?" Danny asked.

"Dislocated shoulder, one broken rib to go along with eight bruised ones, a moderate concussion, and a helluva lot of bruising. In all, he's going to be mighty sore for a while, but he'll be okay. I want to keep him overnight, but we should be able to release him tomorrow morning." Danny blew out his cheeks.

"Well, that is a relief. Thanks, Doc."

"Of course. Would you like to see him? He should still be awake." Danny nodded and followed the doctor back to Steve's room. Miller and Flaherty exchanged a glance, then followed as well. As the entered the dimly lit room, Steve's voice rang out hoarsely.

"Hey Danno." Danny took a seat next to Steve's bed ad squeezed his friend's hand reassuringly.

"Way your eyes are swollen, I didn't think you could see me, babe. How ya feelin'?"

"I can see. S'not that bad. And I feel just great. You on the other hand, sound like you're gonna kill someone. What's wrong?"

"They've got you drugged up to the gills, don't they?" Danny asked, chuckling softly.

"Yup, but you're dodging the question. You have a tone, remember? I can always tell when you're lying." Danny took a deep breath.

"Joe Manzetti escaped from prison." Steve tensed and tried to sit up, but flopped back down immediately as the pain in his head went up a few notches.

"Ahh, okay. Not doing that again. What do you mean Manzetti escaped. How?"

"Paid off a guard it seems." Flaherty added, stepping in from the hallway with Miller at his side.

"Tim, Sam, I didn't know you guys were here." Steve said, smiling at them.

"Hey son. You look like crap. Anyway, yeah, Manzetti's on the run and Danny here is gonna go after him." Steve's eyes widened and he turned to Danny, frowning.

"You're going to what?" Danny rolled his eyes.

"It's nothing, Steve. You guys make it seem like I'm gonna go all Rambo on him, which is Steve's thing, not mine. All I'm doing is trying to find him and get him back behind bars where he belongs."

"Yeah, 'cause that worked out so well the first time. Old Joe's not gonna go quietly. This is only gonna end with one of you bitin' a bullet, Danny." Miller remarked.

"Well, then let's hope it's him not me." Danny said, putting an end to that line of conversation. There was an awkward silence in the room for a minute before Steve spoke up.

"So, since it looks like we're staying for a while, what are we going to do with Maldonado? If we send him to a local prison, he'll be killed right away."

"I've got an old buddy of mine in Witness Protection who's going to escort him back to Hawaii. Chin and Kono will take it from there." Danny explained.

"Good. I'm tired of chasing this guy." Steve mumbles tiredly. He was trying not to let his exhaustion show, but Danny wasn't fooled.

"Sleep." He said kindly, lowering the bed a few degrees. "I'll be here when you wake up." From the look on Danny's face, Steve could see it was best to do as his partner said.

"'Kay. Night Danno."

"Night, Steve. Get some rest."

H

5

0

He checked around him carefully for anyone listening in before answering his phone.

"_My son._" The voice on the other end said as soon as he accepted the call. "_How is my son?_"

"He's alive, sir. He took one in the shoulder and is here at the hospital in the secure ward." There was a chilly silence in the seconds that passed before the voice spoke again.

"_Who is responsible for this?_" The voice demanded. He swallowed.

"Danny Williams, the cop from Hawaii."


End file.
